


Now I Know That No One's Been Protected

by OverlyCheerfulRat



Series: Sweet Little Brother [5]
Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: Disabled Character, Gen, Major Illness, Overprotective Theseus Scamander
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-03-30
Packaged: 2019-12-26 22:34:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18291581
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OverlyCheerfulRat/pseuds/OverlyCheerfulRat
Summary: Percival tells Newt something Theseus has been keeping from him





	Now I Know That No One's Been Protected

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Gal_In_The_Public_Eye (Enjolras_The_Survivor)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Enjolras_The_Survivor/gifts).



> gettin harder to summarize this shit without spoilers

Newt was asleep when Percival returned from Diagon Alley. Theseus was in the kitchen, weighing a head of lettuce, and he smiled at Percival as he walked in. “Where’ve you been?” Percival cleared his throat. “Took a walk around the city, just wanted to see the sights,” he lied. Theseus nodded and resumed his culinary task, giving Percival an opportunity to slip away. He ducked into Newt’s room and watched him sleep for a minute. The new found knowledge that Theseus had been poisoning his baby brother whirled in his mind as he tried to work out what to do.

He had to get Newt away from Theseus, obviously. That was his first priority, but it would be easier said than done- Theseus had legal custody of Newt, given the younger’s illness. It would be easy to prove that he was an unfit guardian, but Percival wanted to take Newt somewhere safe as soon as possible. He’d do it tonight, he decided, after Theseus was asleep.

Dinner was a tense affair, with Percival doing his best to pretend everything was normal and Newt picking at his food in silence. It was the first night since his series of bad days that Theseus had allowed him out of his room, but he clearly had no appetite. Eventually, Theseus took him off to bed, and Percival noticed, not for the first time, that it was only 8:00. At first, he had ignored it, or explained it away, but now he could no longer deny that Theseus treated Newt like a child.

The way he spoke to him, even when he wasn’t having a bad day, was noticeably condescending. With everyone else, Theseus was brusk, to the point, and politely detached. He was warmer to his friends, but still rather business-like. With Newt, his voice was soft and slow, overly gentle. He often stroked his hair or kissed his forehead, held his hand as he led him from room to room. Newt didn’t seem to notice; presumably he was used to it, but he was an adult and deserved to be treated like one.

Around midnight, Percival silently entered Newt’s room and carefully shook him awake. The younger man blinked up at him sleepily. “Do you need something, Mr. Graves?” “Yes. Newt, there’s something I have to tell you, but it’s… it might upset you. You can handle that, right?” Newt nodded, looking confused. Percival sighed and pulled out the vial of potion he’d had tested earlier. “You know what this is?” “My medicine,” Newt replied innocently. “Right… well, I took it to an apothecary in Diagon Alley today. It’s not…. It’s poison, Newt. Your brother’s been poisoning you almost all you life.”

Newt gagged and pressed his hands over his mouth, then threw up on the bed, struggling to breathe. “You’re wrong,” he gasped, closing his eyes. “You’re wrong, you’re wrong. I want my brother, where’s my brother? G-get my brother!” “No, Newt, you don’t understand, Theseus is hurting you-” “He’s not! THESEUS!” Percival swore, but Newt continued yelling for his brother, crying and hugging himself. Theseus rushed in a moment later. “Newt, baby, what’s wrong?” He didn’t seem to notice Percival kneeling by the edge of the bed. “Are you hurt? Oh, you’re covered in sick, poor baby, here…” He quickly cast a scourgify charm, then sat down and pulled Newt into his arms. “Is that all?”

Percival met Newt’s wide, frightened eyes. “Listen to me, Newt. I’m telling the truth.” The younger man shook his head and hid his face in his brother’s chest. Theseus took note of Percival for the first time and smiled weakly at him. “Do you know what he’s worked up about?” Before Percival could answer, Newt raised his head to look at him. “Mr. Graves said you’re poisoning me,” he whispered, clinging tighter to his brother. Theseus froze. Percival read the guilt in his face and snapped, “He is. He’s making you sick so you’ll be dependent on him-” “You’re lying!” Newt started to cry again, and Theseus rubbed his back, glaring at Percival.

“You’re upsetting my brother,” he said stiffly. “You’re poisoning your brother!” Newt sobbed at that, then went limp and quiet, apparently passing out. Theseus set him back in bed and got to his feet. “I want you out of my house,” he snarled. “Why are you hurting him? You must see that he’s in pain,” Percival insisted. “He’s safe here! Our parents died when he was two, he almost died with them, and I knew he’d be in danger if he was out in the world, so I did what I had to do to keep him with me and protect him!” Both men stared at each other for a long moment. Finally, Percival turned and walked out the door.

He didn’t bother to get his things, he just hurried outside. The sooner he told the Ministry about this, the better.

**Author's Note:**

> y'all oughta know i'm making this up as i go along


End file.
